FEA-Modelled Nested Platter

FEA-Modelled Nested Platter

One of the key things we learned during more than a decade of research into turntable design was that almost all turntable platters have significant and audible resonances. We realized that much of the character of certain turntables—descriptions such as “dark,” “bright,” “muddy” and “analytical”—stems from these resonances. But we don’t want our turntables to have any sonic character of their own.

This is why Obsidian uses a new, refined version of the nested platter concept we originated a decade ago. The shape and materials of the platter have been chosen through finite-element analysis (FEA) modelling to damp vibration emerging from the record and stylus as well as vibrations from the ground or the base. Through careful design, all resonances are shifted far outside the audio band, where they can have no effect on the music.

The entire assembly, built around a high-mass flywheel, helps keep the rotational speed of the platter steady and to further smooth the forces delivered through the belt.